A New Take
by fanwriter1245
Summary: This is totally different from any movie really. It's my own take on Tarzan. Jane Porter comes to the jungle with her father and her guide, Mr. Maya, but soon realizes that they are not alone in the jungle. Consists of a new meeting between Jane and Tarzan, but similar dialogue. Different ending too :) Rate and Review :))


Tarzan

Based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

_A huge leopard inched closer and closer to the tree that was sheltering apes smart enough to build their homes above the ground. The leopard let out a low growl. High in the branches, the apes, now aware of the approaching danger, started to chitter softly. Little did this leopard know that eyes were watching him. Hidden behind the green leaves of the trees, a man with brown hair that reached past his shoulders, and only covered with a patch of cloth, he took his spear and prepared to swing._

It's too easy, _he thought. He had faced so much worse than this in the past 17 years of his life._

_The leopard was about to pounce, so the man swung into action. The animal reacted and jumped out of the way. But the man was too smart for this leopard. He darted back and forth, confusing the animal, before plunging his spear into its stomach._

My family is safe.

This expedition to Africa was a dream come true for young woman, Jane Porter. She and her father studied animals for a living and they would finally be able to see them in their natural habitat. Should they run into any natives, they had hired a translator, who was also serving as a guide. The ship's horn blasted its low sound into the air, signaling passengers needed to board. Jane looked at the mighty ship, and couldn't help but smile at the thought of what lay ahead. Not having enough money to buy a plane ticket, they had arranged for a train ride to the harbor and a ship to take them there and back. They just barely had enough money left to hire the guide.

Jane slowly walked up the board connecting the ship and the dock, and headed to their room. It was small, but it was clean, and that's all she cared about. This trip was to study African animals. It would be one month, but she wouldn't be spending much time in the room anyway.

"Dad, this opportunity comes around once in a lifetime!" she claimed excitedly.

"Yes, dear, it does! Who knows what we'll find?"

The ship ride there was not the most interesting one. In fact, the only thing that kept Jane with a positive attitude was remembering where she was headed. When a landmass became visible, Jane immediately knew it was where she wanted to be. One of the ship's men put Jane, her father, and their guide into a lifeboat and rowed them to shore.

"The ship will be back in exactly two weeks. Be ready to leave, or stay here until Lord only knows when," the man explained, as the other lifeboats carrying the other members of the party arrived on the beach.

"We should set up a camp before we do anything," their guide suggested.

"An excellent idea, Mr. Maya," Mr. Porter agreed.

The troop set off into the trees, leaving the ship behind them.

_His spear in hand once again, the man nimbly hopped from branch to branch seeking food. He was absolutely starving! He found a very plump boar, and was just about to hurl his spear, when he heard sounds. They weren't of any animal he'd ever heard before. He forgot all about his hunger and went to go investigate. He soon spotted the strange things. They always walked on two legs, were upright all the time, and they seemed to be using their mouths to communicate in a way he'd never really seen before. And yet, this type of species seemed so familiar… For a split second, he seemed to have a memory that he was one of them. They looked like him, but they didn't move or speak like him. He was extremely confused by now, and didn't know what to make of these creatures. Would they harm him if he approached them? Should he just kill them now and be done with it? Perhaps he should study them more before reaching a conclusion…_

Jane poked the logs in the fire as sparks flew up into the air. Her feet ached from the work she had performed today, and the heat from the fire was making her eyes droop. Her father came and sat down beside her.

"Would you like to hear a story, dear?"

"If I can stay awake that long!" Jane laughed.

"There's a legend that somewhere in these woods, a man raised by apes lives and hunts animals for food and to protect his ape family. Sometimes his call will pierce the air, daring all animals to challenge him to a fight."

Jane sat in thought. "Could a man like that really exist?"

"No one knows."

The next morning, Jane peeked out of the tent flap, and breathed in the fresh morning air as she recalled the events of yesterday. Suddenly, she heard a call of a man. She went back inside the tent, and shook her father awake.

"Dad, I just heard a man yelling! But it wasn't a yell for help, it was like he was announcing to everyone that he was here!" she explained quietly, yet excitedly.

"Perhaps it was the man raised by apes," he answered, drowsily. Jane could tell he did not fully believe her. She was about to protest, but at that moment, the call was heard again. Mr. Porter was now fully awake. "Jane, I think that is the man!"

They both walked outside, and found Mr. Maya looking up into the trees.

"You heard the call, too?" Jane asked him. He did not respond, but continued to scan the treetops. Jane felt her stomach flop. Could the legend be true?

The group did not hear another call, so they abandoned the watch and got dressed. Mr. Maya led them along as Jane and Mr. Porter examined different animal hot spots. It didn't take long before they came across a zebra. Mr. Maya gently approached the beautiful creature. The zebra looked as if it was about to run, but Mr. Maya kept it stationary. The zebra walked forward until its head was being stroked. Mr. Maya motioned for Jane and Mr. Porter to walk over slowly. Jane smiled as she ran her hand across the zebra's head.

"They're even better in person, aren't they, Dad?"

_The man watched the strangers as they petted one of his friends. The animal looked like he liked them. These strangers were gentle and seemed to know what they were doing. The man smiled. He was now glad he had not killed them earlier. He liked these people. However, he still did not feel it was safe to approach them. But something told him that when the time came, he would know._

Jane lay in the tent, recalling everything that had happened today. She had come close to several animals and had seen most of their homes. All the years she and her father had spent studying was worth it to see these mighty creatures. With a smile on her face, Jane slowly drifted into sleep.

Today, Mr. Maya planned to take the travelers further into the jungle. But to do so, they would have to cross a raging river. The only way to get over was to hop along on a few rocks. Mr. Maya warned the group to be extra careful. No one could afford to goof around. He led them the very long way to the river. Everyone could hear it before they reached it. The river was moving fast, and one wrong move could be fatal. Mr. Maya hopped onto one rock, and very cautiously, continued to move forward. Mr. Porter soon followed, with Jane behind him. When she reached the middle of the river, she hopped onto the next rock, but it was wet and slippery. Jane lost her footing and fell into the deep, cold water. The river was so loud that Mr. Porter and Mr. Maya did not even realize she was gone until they reached the other side.

Under the water, Jane fought to go above the surface and draw a breath. The river was forcing her to stay under, challenging her to fight back. At one point, Jane was able to breathe in fresh air above the water, before being plunged under again. She couldn't breathe. She was drowning. Her lungs were on fire. Her throat burned from the water that kept entering her mouth. She couldn't fight anymore. She was so tired. Her vision started to go black…

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her arm. It pulled her up. She could feel someone carrying her. He was warm against her shivering, aching body. She couldn't make herself open her eyes to see who her rescuer was. It wasn't her father, and it wasn't Mr. Maya, so who was it?

She felt grass under her. Her rescuer had laid her down on the ground. Jane suddenly coughed out the water she had swallowed, and took deep breaths of the air she thought she'd never feel again. Her throat burned so much, her head was pounding from holding her breath for so long, and it was awhile before she turned to see a man wearing only a piece of cloth. She laid down on her back again. She was so tired and weak, but part of her was scared. Who was this man, why did he save her, and what would he do to her now? The man's eyes seemed to stare straight through her. It occurred to her that he had probably never seen another human being in almost his whole life. He stroked her face, comparing hers to his. He was examining her, studying the similarities. Completely worn out, Jane's vision darkened as she slipped into unconsciousness.

When Jane awoke, she was very achy from all the fighting she had done. Suddenly, she remembered everything. The near-death experience, the rescue, the man…

Jane looked around her. She was high in the treetops. All around her were monkeys and gorillas. They must've built nests somehow. Next to her was what looked like a cave made out of branches and grass. It was small. It could only hold two people maximum.

The call Jane had heard yesterday morning was heard again. She looked around and saw a man swing on a vine, and land next to her with bananas in his hand. As terrified as she was, she tried not to show it. This man couldn't want to hurt her because he had saved her from the river. The man handed her a banana. She took it, peeled it, and took a bite, but didn't take her eyes off the man. They just stared at each other, wild thoughts running through both their heads.

"Thank you for saving me," Jane said quietly. The man looked like he did not understand.

He motioned for one of the monkeys to come over to where they were. The monkey obeyed, and came and sat down with the man. They seemed like they were playing, and Jane smiled. The monkey came over to her and played with her hair, and started to touch her face. It seemed almost confused that there was someone like the man here. Jane felt a little awkward, but the man was smiling. The monkey chittered to the man, and went back over to his family. The man crawled into the small opening. Jane sat there, not knowing what to do, until the man motioned that she could follow him. She crawled into the opening after him. They stared at each other for a little longer.

"I'm Jane Porter." She pointed to herself. "Jane. What is your name?"

He looked confused.

She pointed to herself again. "Jane." She pointed to him. "And you are?"

"Tarzan."

Jane looked at him. He said his name almost as if it was unfamiliar, but at the same time, he knew it his whole life. To make sure he understood, she pointed to herself, and said, "Jane." Then she pointed to him, and said, "Tarzan. Jane. Tarzan."

He looked at her deeply. "Jane."

"Exactly."

Tarzan hardly ever talked to Jane because he didn't know how. Every day, he picked up a few words here and there, but Jane saw that they had no meaning to him. It was frustrating not being able to communicate properly, but at the same time, she could say whatever she wanted and didn't have to worry about what he thought of her. It was almost like talking to a little kid and yet…it wasn't. Still, in the back of her mind, Jane knew that her father was out there somewhere and he thought she was dead. She needed to find him but how would she tell Tarzan that? She definitely couldn't do it without his help, but how could she make him understand?

One day, as Jane peeked out of the small opening, as that was where she slept, while Tarzan gave her her privacy and slept outside of it, she saw him swinging on vines and walking on branches. He paused on one and dove into the lake below. Jane climbed down and looked at the lake. His head popped above the water and scared her almost half to death. He'd been under for a long time, and yet he wasn't breathing hard. He motioned for her to jump in into his arms. She recalled her ordeal in the river, and didn't really want to jump in. But the waters were calm and she reminded herself that Tarzan would be there if anything happened. Reluctantly, she jumped into the water. When her head went under, all she could think about was when she almost drowned and the awful feeling it was. However, she felt one arm go under her knees, and the other go around her waist, and she was pulled up. She wiped her eyes and put her arm around Tarzan's neck.

"Thanks."

He smiled. She could tell he was happy that she had jumped in. Tarzan started to carry her around, while Jane relaxed in his arms.

"You know, Tarzan, you're amazing," Jane said.

"Amazing," he repeated.

She laughed. "I wish I could make you understand. What would it take?"

He looked at her. They arrived on the bank and Tarzan lifted her out of the water before getting out himself. Jane stood up and expected Tarzan to help her back into the trees but instead he grabbed her foot and yanked her down next to him.

"Ow! Tarzan, that hurt!" He started playing with her foot. "Tarzan, that tickles!" He touched her hand and Jane felt a connection and she wondered if Tarzan felt the connection too.

Suddenly, Jane heard voices, and she froze. That was her father's voice!

"Tarzan…that's my father."

"Father."

"Yes. I…I have to go."

"Go?"

"Yes, I have to leave. I must go back with him. Tarzan, please. I want you to come with me."

Tarzan followed her through the brush. Jane saw a glimpse of her father's jacket, and ran up to him, sobbing into his chest. They had found each other at last.

Tarzan looked at her, and saw that she was back where she was before she had met him. She didn't care about him anymore. He turned around and walked back through the tall plants and trees. Jane turned and saw that Tarzan was leaving!

"Tarzan! Come back! Please!"

"Jane, dear, you've been through a lot these last few days," her father soothed. "He belongs here. You're safe with us now."

"No…I love him! Tarzan! I love you!"

It was no use. He was gone.

Jane sadly walked alongside Mr. Porter, missing Tarzan more than ever. She never knew how much he really meant to her until he was gone. Suddenly, the whole party heard a distinct battle cry that was far from Tarzan's. Fierce natives emerged from the brush and grabbed Jane, Mr. Porter, Mr. Maya, and the rest of the party. As much as they struggled, these natives were in their own land and were much stronger than any of them. Mr. Maya tried his best to communicate with these people, but no matter what language he tried, they could not understand him. Each of their wrists were tied and they were led away to these natives' village.

"Dad, who are these people?" Jane asked, her voice quivering.

"Just do what they tell you."

As they approached, Jane took notice of how dark and foreboding this "home" looked. The natives took away one person from the party and led him to a different place than all the others, though they were still in sight of the others. The man from the party was tied to a table made completely out of rock. One of the natives lit a fire and the rope holding down a very sharp blade began to break. After at least 10 minutes, the rope snapped and the blade came down, killing the man. The natives whooped and cheered as one of them grabbed Jane and carried her to the table as she screamed.

_Tarzan had an uneasy feeling in him. He felt like something bad had happened somewhere. He climbed down from his tree home, and went back to the place where he had left Jane. There was just something not right…_

_He looked down and noticed a necklace he had only seen once before so long ago. There was a native village somewhere in this jungle that was known for brutal and torturous killings. What if they had gotten Jane? _

_Tarzan leaped into action and started following tracks and a certain scent in the air. He couldn't be too late…_

Jane continued to scream as she was tied to the concrete table. She looked up at the blade that in a short time was going to come down on her and end her life. Tears started to stream down her cheeks. The natives started the fire and Jane watched in horror as the blade inched closer and closer to her. Jane heard the rope snap. She screamed and closed her eyes as she waited for the pain, but it didn't come. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Tarzan holding the rope back. Jane smiled at him through her tears.

Tarzan took the blade down away from Jane and proceeded to beat the other natives attacking him. Tarzan saw that there were too many to fight with at one time, and he released his call that pierced the jungle air. Far away, Tarzan's ape family heard the call and leaped down from the treetops and followed it. Elephants abandoned the plants they were eating and followed the call as well.

Back in the village, Tarzan continued to fight with the savage natives. Jane was still tied to the table as she watched Tarzan struggling to fight off so many people.

Suddenly, a thunderous stampede of elephants and apes crashed through the gates of the village. The terrified natives retrieved spears to try and stop the elephants, but there were just too many. Tarzan let out his call again in triumph. He then went to the table and untied Jane's restraints. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back, feeling something he never had before.

He called out to the elephants and apes, and the animals and the party Jane had come with all followed Tarzan as he and Jane walked out of the destroyed village gate.

When they were a safe enough distance away, Mr. Maya questioned Jane and her father.

"The ship is going to be back in three days' time," he said. "We must prepare to leave for the long journey ahead."

Jane looked at Tarzan and Mr. Porter knew exactly what was running through her head.

"Jane, dear…"

"Dad…I'm afraid I can't return home with you. I've found love here."

"Love," Tarzan said.

"Yes, Tarzan. Love."

Mr. Porter looked at his little girl. "Jane, you have become such a fine young lady. You are the spitting image of your mother."

"I love you, Dad. But I can't go back when I know that my heart belongs here."

"Another thing you have in common with your mother."

"I think I know where I want to be. And that's here, with Tarzan."

"I will miss you, my dear. But I know that you will be so happy here with him. He has protected you and filled you with joy so far, and I know he will continue to do so."

Jane's eyes watered as she hugged her father good-bye for the last time. "I love you," she whispered.

"And I love you."

The party all walked away as Tarzan and Jane hugged each other. Then Jane kissed Tarzan right out of the blue. "That was a kiss," she told him.

"Kiss?"

"Expect more every day that I'm with you. Tarzan, I love you."

"I love you."

And for the first time, Jane saw that Tarzan knew exactly what he was talking about when he said those words.


End file.
